The exhumation of the body of 031401 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Graham Strout, of 77 Squadron ...

The exhumation of the body of 031401 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Graham Strout, of 77 Squadron RAAF, from his grave near the crash site of his RAAF Mustang A68-757 in the area of Pukpyong, South Korea, in late December 1950 - early January 1951. It is being observed by Commander (Cdr) Paik of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy and a local Korean civilian, while the digging is performed by another civilian. Sqn Ldr Strout, the first RAAF fatality in the Korean War, was posted missing after leading a raid by a section of four Mustang aircraft north of latitude 37 degrees 08 minutes north, on the east coast railway at Samchok on 7 July 1950. The RAAF Air Board had directed that a search team should be sent to locate Strout or his remains. At the time, the Pukpyong area was controlled by ROK forces and the recovery party was assisted by the ROK Navy. The team comprised Sqn Ldr Esmond New, an RAAF Presbyterian chaplain with extensive knowledge of Korea, its people and language from prior to World War II, and Sergeant (Sgt) Tom Henderson, a World War II veteran of RAAF search and rescue in New Guinea, Java and New Britain. Sqn Ldr Stroud's remains were recovered and were later buried at the United Nations Cemetery at Pusan, South Korea.